As a yoga teacher, one of the things I hear a lot is ‘I’m not flexible enough’, and that sometimes puts people off even stepping foot on the mat. But guess what, that’s what yoga is here for – to help you get more flexible if that’s your goal!
But I can’t touch my toes!
Guess what? When I first started yoga I couldn’t either! And I still have days where I struggle if I have been running or slept in funny position. No two bodies are the same, and no two days are the same for how you might feel or what your body will let you do. And you know what, that’s ok!
That’s the reason to start yoga!
With a practice that focuses on supporting you to become more flexible, you will gradually start to see a difference over time. It’s a cliché but it’s true – practice can make perfect, and remember yoga isn’t a race, so that practice might be over a longer period of time for some of you.
Start off slowly with this practice to see if you start to notice a difference over time.
Maybe record your practice and track your progress as you might, you might be surprised with what you see!
These poses are designed to help improve flexibility, which in turn as so many other great side effects. Better sleep, improved posture, correct body alignment which can make you appear taller (if that’s your aim), I promise you the list goes on.
Who is this for:
Beginners and those revisiting their practice
Those who want to improve their posture
Those who want to tone up, get fit and flexible
Recommendations before you start:
You will see this on all of my blogs, as I always recommend a warm up practice or flow before you start. Especially if you are doing deeper poses and stretches, it is important to prepare the muscles first. Focus on breathing into each posture to help.
During your practice, try and hold postures for 3-5 breaths, or 30 seconds. Ensure you repeat poses on each side to balance your body out too!
My other top tips for increased flexibility include:
Make sure you warm the body up with some preparatory poses to begin with
Always start with some light, static stretching first of all
Make sure there is time to relax to let your body recover
Ensure you breathe deeply into the poses
If you want to find out more or give this a go then join one of my online classes, or drop me a line to get in touch to see if we can create a practice that is perfect just for you!
As a yoga teacher, one of the things I hear a lot is ‘I’m not flexible enough’, and that sometimes puts people off even stepping foot on the mat. But guess what, that’s what yoga is here for – to help you get more flexible if that’s your goal!
But I can’t touch my toes!
Guess what? When I first started yoga I couldn’t either! And I still have days where I struggle if I have been running or slept in funny position. No two bodies are the same, and no two days are the same for how you might feel or what your body will let you do. And you know what, that’s ok!
That’s the reason to start yoga!
With a practice that focuses on supporting you to become more flexible, you will gradually start to see a difference over time. It’s a cliché but it’s true – practice can make perfect, and remember yoga isn’t a race, so that practice might be over a longer period of time for some of you.
Start off slowly with this practice to see if you start to notice a difference over time. Maybe record your practice and track your progress as you might, you might be surprised with what you see!
These poses are designed to help improve flexibility, which in turn as so many other great side effects. Better sleep, improved posture, correct body alignment which can make you appear taller (if that’s your aim), I promise you the list goes on.
Who is this for:
Beginners and those revisiting their practice
Those who want to improve their posture
Those who want to tone up, get fit and flexible
Recommendations before you start:
You will see this on all of my blogs, as I always recommend a warm up practice or flow before you start. Especially if you are doing deeper poses and stretches, it is important to prepare the muscles first. Focus on breathing into each posture to help. For more info on how to start, get in touch and I will see how I can help!
During your practice, try and hold postures for 3-5 breaths, or 30 seconds. Ensure you repeat poses on each side to balance your body out too!
My other top tips for increased flexibility include:
Make sure you warm the body up with some preparatory poses to begin with
Always start with some light, static stretching first of all
Make sure there is time to relax to let your body recover
Ensure you breathe deeply into the poses
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana):
Bow pose is one of the great poses for increased flexibility in the hips. It also has so many amazing benefits where it strengthens the spine, stimulates the digestive system (helping weight los), and also can help strengthen you back and improve your posture.
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana):
This is a great pose for tight hips as you can really go as low as you want with this one. Use props and blocks to support you if it’s a bit challenging at first, and with increased practice see if you can raise your arms above your head. This will help with tightness in the legs, hips and opens up the chest.
Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana):
This is a juicy one for a deep stretch of the hips, shoulders, thighs, chest and triceps. This is such a deep stretch so might take some practice, and you might need some props to help you out, so start off sloe and build up. This can really give you a full body stretch, from the ankles to the spine, abdominals, hips and more!
Plow Pose (Halasana):
This helps to relieve tightness and stiffness in the neck, shoulders and back, as well as helping to strengthen and tone shoulders, arms and legs. This one is like a full body experience, and also improves flexibility in the muscles and joints. You should also see an improvement in posture too!
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana):
This pose has so many benefits and for those of you that have tried it, you will already know! Not only is this a great one for the hamstrings and backs of legs, it can also improve blood flow and circulation, strength bones and tone your core.
Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana):
I love this one for a real chest and heart opener after an inversion like shoulder stand. This can do so much for the body, opening the shoulders, neck, spine, hips and stimulating the digestive system once again. You might feel lighter after this pose as it really stretches you out from head to toe!
Standing Forward Fold:
This is such a great beginners pose if you don’t know where to start but want to begin your journey to increased flexibility. Just be folding forward and letting your arms and head hang heavy you can stretch the hamstrings, calves, thighs, knees hips, as well as strengthening all these areas too. This posture will also help digestion, reduce tiredness and help with headaches.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana):
Another great all over body stretch, which opens up the entire front of you body even down to your ankles! This will open the chest, neck, throat, and give a deep stretch to your hip flexors, back muscles and improve posture. Take your time with this pose and gentle ease into it with help from props as it can be a challenging pose at first.
Pigeon Pose (Kapotasana):
This yoga pose is great for stretching and opening out your hips and lower back and can increase flexibility of the hips and lower back as well, and also stimulate digestion. I would recommend holding this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute for a deeper stretch, and try relaxing over a bolster or pillow.
Standing Back Bend (Anuvittasana):
Last but not least, standing back bend! Again, this can be tricky if you have not warmed up properly, and should be done slowly. This is great for opening up the shoulders and neck, opening up the respiratory system and is great for preparing the body for deeper back bends too!
My other top tips for increased flexibility include:
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